The present invention relates to apparatus for mounting video imaging equipment in vehicles. More particularly, the present invention relates to video and audio imaging apparatus incorporated with seats in vehicles.
In recent years, military, taxis, private persons, police and private detectives have added video cameras to their equipment list for video recording of activities, persons, races, passing scenes, patrols and investigations. For police particularly, the video camera provides a visual record of events such as traffic stops, chases, and other incidents of law enforcement. Private detectives also record incidents for evidentiary purposes during investigations.
Various devices have been provided for supporting video cameras in vehicles. Stationary investigations allow use of tripods mounted in the vehicle to support the video cameras. The tripod readily stands in many vans or other trucks which have room for the legs to spread and thereby provide a stable foundation for using a video camera attached thereto. Tripods however are not readily adaptable for use in passenger vehicles which have limited space in the rear seat portion of the car. Generally, the legs are insufficiently separated for image recording stability.
For military, taxi, and police vehicles particularly, video cameras typically mount on U-shaped brackets attached to the forward portion of the roof adjacent the windshield. The bracket receives the video camera for a forward view through the windshield in order to provide a record of traffic stops, automobile chases, and the like. Other camera mounts have been used to secure video or television cameras within automobiles, such as race cars to provide a driver""s perspective during an automobile race being broadcasted on television. One known device for mounting a camera in a car maintains the camera level with respect to the roads surface regardless of acceleration or gravitational forces. The camera is supported on a pendulum suspended from a gimble and constrained with spring and damping elements which match the vehicle suspension system in order to produce equal and opposite rotations of the pendulum in response to the movements of the vehicle.
Other devices are less complicated. One such device mounts a camera in a protective box which attaches to the rear deck of the vehicle near the back window. Telescoping members connect the box to the rear deck. Coil springs absorb shock in order to dampen vibrations communicated to the camera. Another device provides a channel member with a depending plate at one end. The plate is received in a slot of an upper edge of a car seat which normally receives a tongue or support member of a headrest. A distal end of the channel rests on top of the dashboard of the vehicle. A camera mounts with a bolt through an opening in the channel. An elastic hold-down and stabilizing cord is used to secure the distal end of the channel to the dashboard.
My U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/919,298 discloses a transverse bar which connects at opposing distal ends to the supports for headrests in the seats of vehicles. The video camera mounts to a pivotable support attached to the transverse bar, whereby the camera may be oriented at a selected angle for recording.
While these devices have generally functioned to support a camera within a car, there are drawbacks to their use. Mounting the camera on a rear deck of a car does not satisfactorily show dashboard information which is useful and important during automobile races or other activities in which such information is important, e.g., auto racing, police incidents such as those that involve the stopping of a vehicle for example for excessive speed, accident recordation in vehicles such as trucks, trains, vessels or aircraft, driver training, storm chasing, surveying, private investigations, wildlife and hunting recordation, film for cinematography or advertising, television news, and other. Also this perspective view differs from that seen by the driver or operator of the vehicle. On the other hand, placing the camera closer to the windshield may have the camera to far forward to show the dashboard of the car which had key gauges, such as the speedometer, displaying information about the car. Brackets which are cantilevered in the car are susceptible to vibration as the distal end is not adequately secured. Further, such brackets that mount to the seat slot for headrest supports occupies one of the headrests and takes the space otherwise occupied by a passenger.
Also, surveillance security and other police activities however need the camera to be less visible from casual observation, which the present devices do not provide.
Further, while some video cameras incorporate a recording apparatus within the camera, often, the recorder is a separate component connected to the video camera by communication cables. As a separate component, the recorder is usually permanently mounted to a portion of the wall of the trunk of the vehicle. This makes access to the recorder and tapes cumbersome, time consuming, and unsatisfactory. Space within a police vehicle however is at premium for storage of equipment and materials. The video recorder needs to be secure so that it is not independently moving while the vehicle is traveling, yet must be readily and easily accessible for retrieval and exchange of recording tapes.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved mounts for video recording equipment in vehicles. It is to such that the present invention is directed.
The present invention meets the need in the art by providing a video and audio imaging apparatus incorporated with a vehicle seat for positioning in a vehicle for receiving video and audio images. The video and audio imaging apparatus and vehicle seat for positioning in a vehicle for receiving video images and audio comprises a vehicle seat having an elongate member extending from a lateral upper portion thereof. A panoramic mirror mounts in a distal end portion, which distal end portion communicates light theretrough to the mirror. An image receiving lens is placed at an opposing end of the tube for receiving images communicated by the mirror. A recorder is provided for recording signals representative of the images received by the lens.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a vehicle seat and video imaging apparatus, comprising a seat with a seatback and a support arm extending laterally therefrom. A pivoter connects to the support arm for selective angular orientation in at least a first axis relative to the support arm. A video imaging apparatus fixedly secures to the pivoter for imaging in one or more directions by selective positioning of said pivoter with the video imaging apparatus disposed laterally of the seat and substantially centrally relative to a central axis of the vehicle. The video imaging apparatus includes one or more lenses and is adapted to create one or more electrical signal representative of the images received by said one or more lens. A signal transmitting pathway provides for transmitting the one or more electrical signal to a signal receiving device communicating with the signal transmitting pathway.